Photo: RNZ
Moana 2's bilingual debut, a 20-day record-breaking mountain climbing morathon, and a mission to try every kebab in Auckland are among this week's feel-good stories from RNZ.
Pacific business owner and 'Polytreneur' Noeleen Tuala is celebrating the recent milestone of setting up a kiosk in Manukau Westfield Mall. Photo: PMN News / Candice Ama
After many long nights and tears, Tongan and Sāmoan entrepreneur Noeleen Tuala is celebrating her babywear company's second anniversary alongside the launch of a pop up store in Auckland's Westfield Manukau. The business began with a personal quest to find a better blanket for her grandson. After finding nothing in NZ, she had to order one from Australia but when it arrived, the quality was poor. "That's when I knew that this was my moment, and I could do better and was going to just give it my all," she says.
Photo: Walt Disney Studio
Moana 2 premiered in both English and te reo Māori simultaneously. This meant many tamariki Māori will hear it first in their own language. It is something lead voice actor Jaedyn Randell, who plays Moana said: "That's all they'll ever know, and I think that's really exciting." Rutene Spooner, who voices the new character Kele, added to that sentiment. "This could be the first and only version of Moana my daughter sees. She doesn't have to see the English version and then see the translation."
Photo: Supplied
Matheson Brown, 28, from New Plymouth has just smashed a world record, becoming the fastest person to climb the highest peak in every US state. The clock started at Denali in Alaska and did not stop until he got to Mount Rainier in Washington. The epic feat was achieved in just 20 days, 14 hours and four minutes with the help of his dad and two friends. "It wasn't about breaking the record though, it was about making a statement," Brown says. He wanted to prove that regular people can achieve big things, even without major resources or professional backing.
Photo: Mahvash Ikram/RNZ
Social media influencer Zeeshan, known as Big Boi Bari, is on a mission to try every kebab in Auckland. He reckons he's eaten enough kebabs in his life to know what's good and what's not. According to Zeeshan, the best way to enjoy a kebab was to embrace the mess that goes with it, and gulp it down with a fizzy drink. So far he has reviewed and rated more than 100 kebabs in Auckland. One of his favourite spots so far? Celine Mediterranean Cuisine where he ordered mixed kebab with garlic yoghurt and hot chilli sauce.
Regional Spotlight - Coromandel Cathedral Cove. Photo: Supplied
Access to the popular Coromandel beach has re-opened in time for summer, after almost two years of repairs. The walking track to Cathedral Cove had been closed since February 2023 after severe weather events, including Cyclone Gabrielle, caused extensive damage. The beach, known for its natural rock arch, has only been accessible by boat since. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says the cove was important for the recovery of the region's tourism industry.
Wellington City Orchestra, December 2023 concert at St Andrew's on the Terrace, Wellington. Photo: Supplied / Wellington City Orchestra
Sometimes Rowena Cullen is so caught up in the excitement of the music she's making, she loses track of where she is. Cullen has been part of the second violin section of Wellington City Orchestra for over a decade. For an amateur orchestra, the ensemble takes on pretty ambitious projects - such as Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony. Cullen says while musically they might not match a professional orchestra, to be part of a performance of a great work can be just as profound an experience as sitting passively listening to it.
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